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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder

1972

Buy At Rough Trade
Talking Book
Album Summary

Talking Book is the fifteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and musician Stevie Wonder, released on October 28, 1972, by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. This album and Music of My Mind, released earlier the same year, are generally considered to mark the start of Wonder's "classic period". The sound of the album is sharply defined by Wonder's use of keyboards and synthesizers. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard Top LPs chart and finished at number three on Billboard's year-end chart for 1973. "Superstition" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts, and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" hit number one on the Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts. Talking Book earned Wonder his first Grammy Award, with "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 16th Grammy Awards; "Superstition" also won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song. Often included in lists of the greatest albums of all time, Talking Book was voted number 322 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000), and Rolling Stone ranked it number 59 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.71

Votes

15860

Genres

  • Funk
  • Soul

Reviews

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Aug 31 2021
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3

IMO Stevie is at his best when he does the funky soul numbers. Superstition is one of his most iconic songs, with killer guitar hooks and I love his funky snarling voice. But this album is marred by syrupy maudlin commercial tracks meant to sell records such as You are the sunshine, You and I, Looking for another pure love, and I believe. Yuck. If it had more Superstition it would be a 4 but the dreck pulls it down unfortunately

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Jul 14 2021
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3

Lovely relaxed vocals but the lyrics are too sickly sweet for my tastes and a bit repetitive. Superstition is amazing. Stevie Wonder's real name is Stevland Morris. 3/5

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Nov 12 2021
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5

This is an actual classic album. Stevie Wonder in his imperial period. It is hard to over-praise this record.

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Feb 22 2021
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5

I went down the rabbit hole with Stevie Wonder after listening to this.... he has so many more catchy hits than I realized, many that have been covered so many times..... my favorite will always be 'Don't you worry 'bout a thing' but my newest discovery rivals my favorite - - 'Pastime paradise'; I'd never listened to the original, only the cover - Gangster's paradise

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May 07 2021
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5

Arguably Stevie Wonder's best album, although I prefer "Innervisions" and "Songs in the Key of Life." Inarguably among one of the 1001 greatest albums of all time. "Maybe Your Baby" is an electro jam that feels contemporary in 2021. "Superstition" is an unskippable track for all people and all times.

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May 21 2021
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4

For every bit of magic on this album, there's something a little powderpuff about much of the rest of the material. I know we are all supposed to consider Stevie Wonder a genius, but Innervisions aside I'm not sure he's ever hit that kind of consistency. The funk-soul equivalent to Iron Maiden, then; stellar moments and a hogshead of filler

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Jul 29 2021
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2

One of my all time favourite songs on this album - Superstition. So was looking forward to this, but i am sorry this song couldnot carry the rest of the album. It mostly sounded like lounge music to me. 2 Stars

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Oct 23 2021
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4

Typical Stevie Wonder album, Some of the best music ever and some of the most self indulgent crap on the same disk. Loved some of it but hated that I didn't love it all.

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Jan 30 2021
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4

I love me some Stevie, and seeing him on this list will likely surprise no one. I think I actually own this record, but hadn't listened to it before today. I own and have listened to Songs in the Key of Life, and Hotter Than July, the latter of which I bought in a head shop in Macomb along with a book on how propaganda was making men's fashion more feminine (I threw away the book, still have the record). Anyway, based on my limited experience with his discography, Stevie's music is super consistent, and a joy. When I go back to hosting game nights again, I will be sure to dust off my copy of Talking Book. My personal enjoyment: 4/5 Did it belong on this list: 5/5

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Sep 09 2021
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1

This is the album that has "Superstition" on it, the rest of the album is pretty forgettable electronic keyboard and sleepy soulless blabbering. Songs just boring and don't go anywhere, like an essay written to pad length.

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Dec 02 2023
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5

this is one of my favourite albums of all time! a smile came to my face when i saw this was our next album to listen to ! every song unfolds so well together one after another! literally every single song is perfect !!! 5/5

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Aug 29 2023
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5

nuh uh. how can this guy be blind. theres no way. now i have no excuse to be shit at anything. im not even blind, only slightly fat. fav songs: youre the sunshine of my life, maybe your baby, youve got it bad girl, blame it on the sun, i believe.

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Oct 09 2021
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4

Undoubtedly a genius, sometimes his tracks are just too cheesy. However, when he wants to get funky then his squelching synths and cry baby bass is amazing. Best Tracks: Maybe Your Baby; Tuesday Heartbreak; Superstition

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Sep 17 2020
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5

Absolutely outstanding and unique view of Stevie’s music. Not being super familiar with his work outside of any of the hits, this really helped me appreciate a bit more of the work that I guess was not considered as “commercial” at the time.

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Oct 14 2021
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3

An album of two halves. The well known tracks are some of Stevie's best. The album tracks are a bit bland and dull, frankly. However, any record with a song as strong as I Believe can't be all bad, right? For me, Innervisions is a better record for the cohesion and clarity of purpose.

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Nov 17 2021
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2

Not a fan of soul/R&B and the cheesy schmaltz of the opening track ‘you are the sunshine of my life’ was a terrible start. Sorry Stevie, not for me

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Aug 14 2024
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5

Talking Book 5 star banger. Never noticed the sobbing sounds around 1.47 of You are the Sunshine of my Life when he sings ‘lonely’. Great opening track, love the laid back melody, rightfully a classic. Always loved Maybe Your Baby, the tension that the intro and verse build before the relatively subdued chorus is fantastic. I love the Theremin sounding synth on You and I, and the song itself is great, one of his best ballads I think. And I love the whole atmosphere of Tuesday Heartbreak. I don’t know what I’m talking about but it feels like he’s singing slightly behind the beat, giving it an lovely unhurried swing. Love You’ve Got it Bad Girl, not sure why it but it always sounded like California to me. Superstition. Can’t really say anything that’s not been said, but I’d recommend the One Song podcast in this song, the stems from the drums are amazing. Big Brother is another sunny sounding song to me even though it’s quite a bleak lyric, but I love the melody and harpsichord style synth. Blame it on the Sun is probably my least favourite song on the album, but it’s still a very good 70s Stevie ballad. Lookin For Another Pure Love on the other hand is great, one I didn’t appreciate when I first heard the album but now I love. And then I Believe, which is just an utterly joyous and fantastic love song, one of my absolute favourite Stevie songs. Obviously it can’t be anything but a 5, even if a couple of songs don’t quite reach the heights of the others as a whole album it’s one of the greatest ever. 📖📖📖📖📖 Playlist submission: I Believe (When I Fall In Love it Will Be Forever)

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Feb 19 2024
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5

When I bought this on CD it was from the "low price oldies" section - for context, that's equivalent in time to buying the first Kayne album today, christ! Lots of interesting synth sounds and squelchy Moog bass (all played by Stevie) decorate some excellent tunes; these are outrageously experimental given how poppy they sound. I love the funky numbers and the sappy ones equally. It's not quite Innervisions, but that's not really a criticism

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Nov 15 2021
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5

Super funky, enjoyed this one more then I expected.

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Nov 09 2021
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5

Great album. I've been listening to it for years. Not new to me.

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Oct 29 2021
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5

Absolutely brilliant. A masterpiece companion to Innervisions (all recorded pretty much in one go).

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Oct 10 2021
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5

Timeless Stevie Wonder album, no comments needed

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Oct 10 2021
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5

Wonderful album from start to finish.

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Aug 31 2021
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5

The best record of his career, and a monster of an album with chart hits and influential songs spilling out all over the place. I have always loved this record. I still do.

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Aug 31 2021
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5

The two songs opening each side are excellent and very well known hits. For me, Superstition is his best song.  Ray Parker will always be better known for his Ghostbusters song but his  guitar on Maybe Your Baby is top shelf and really works well with the funkiness. Stevie delivers the electric piano and clavinet that makes Tuesday Heartbreak. I've never heard those instruments deliver a cool and funky vibe like this. Stevie's vocals on You and I might be his best on the LP. Jeff Beck's guitar on Looking for Another . . . is also quite good as one would expect from Jeff. I didn't know Stevie for his political songs. Big Brother is quite good and the words "You've killed all our Leaders" are particularly poignant given this album was made less than 5 years after  Martin Luther King and Bobby  Kennedy were murdered.  Different songs on this LP have very different features that make them soar. They are all good songs for very different reasons. An album that pulls this off meets my definition of a 5. As an afterthought, it's a great picture on the cover. 

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Jun 07 2021
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5

Beautiful album. It’s like a love-child of funk and country but raised by classical. It’s soft and gentle but also thoughtful. Stevie Wonder has a perfect voice and he also has poignant lyrics. This album delivers pretty heavy stuff like love and heartbreak and rebirth and belief and faith but it’s done so lite and breezy. Stevie Wonder is a genius. Top tracks You are the sunshine of my life Big brother You and I Tuesday Heartbreak Iconic track Superstition

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Jun 07 2021
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5

The album starts with calming chords and a soft groove. Then the groove heats up and stays strong. Each song has unique instruments and melodies that keep this a very interesting album all the way through.

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May 25 2021
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5

The one..the.only...Stevie Wonder

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Jun 25 2021
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5

5/5 - Always loved this album; Hell yeah, Stevie

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Mar 10 2021
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5

Amazing songwriting and arranging of the music.

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Apr 08 2021
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5

Not the only 5 star album, but this is top class.

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May 20 2021
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5

Awesome! Can't believe I didn't discover him earlier

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Jan 26 2021
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5

This album is amazing! I can't believe how great Stevie Wonder's music is. What a genius. I can see all the influences he's had on musicians.

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Feb 09 2021
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5

I've been busy so I had to go back to this one. Really loved it stevie wonder is great

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Feb 07 2021
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5

I'm familiar with some of his more famous songs because Stevie Wonder is, well, iconic to say the least but never actually listened to a full album by him. Lemme just say I'm kicking myself for missing out and this Aussie gives Talking Book five lamingtons out of five.

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Mar 02 2021
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5

Amazing album. It's so easy to overlook Stevie Wonder sometimes, but this album is always worth coming back to.

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Jan 21 2021
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5

Fantastic!! Now we are getting somewhere. The keys, the funk, and Stevie's wonderful voice.

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Jan 12 2021
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5

all the famous songs here are impeccable gems

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Jul 31 2024
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4

For me, Stevie Wonder is at his best when he’s funky. The ballads don’t really do a whole lot for me, even though I think they are well produced and usually are pretty gorgeous instrumentally. It’s the funk, though…that sweet, elastic funkiness with the synthetic bass and clavinet. It’s so good. Stevie Wonder is a musical genius. [wipes nose] (That’s a reference that like 4 people will get.)

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Mar 12 2024
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4

Стиви Уандер - это наш кротяра

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Feb 19 2024
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4

Much of this is unsurpassable. Superstition sits next to Sweet Jane in having a riff that I can conceive continuing forever. There’s schmaltz on here, by my own measure, where the music is not great enough to sublimate lyrical sentimentality. Lookin’ For Another Pure Love is schmaltz; I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) is majestic.

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Sep 15 2024
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3

"Superstition" is great, unfortunately canceled out by "Maybe Your Baby." High highs and low lows aside, I didn't love it.

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Jul 18 2024
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3

he kinda sound like steve lacy, he kinda look like him in the cover too, steve lacy stole stevie's whole flow. good album. 3.5

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Nov 20 2021
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3

Superstition is an all time great song. Shame the rest of the album sounds nothing like it. Not bad, just gives you a glimpse of some of his best work for one song and the rest is mid.

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Apr 06 2024
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2

Loveeee Superstition so went in expecting to love this hyped up album but a little disappointed by the rest of it! vocals are great and relaxed but a lot of it just feels very shmaltzy sentimental and kitchy… this is more about personal preference I’m sure but the overly soppy love stuff just got samey and boring to me, overall not a bad album by any means great voice and some songs but as a whole expected this to wow me far more

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Jan 29 2024
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2

How did I already get another Stevie Wonder album from such an exhaustive list? This one was too slow and cheesy for me, should've been called Blabbering Book. Superstition is good but not enough to carry the rest of the setlist. Maybe alright for chillin' in a lounge but not my cup of tea (too much honey).

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Jan 29 2024
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1

I'm not sure what they hype about this album is. Stevie slowed it down way too much through the vast majority of this. Superstition is miles ahead of anything else on the album. The rest of this is completely skippable.

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Nov 22 2024
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5

Such a beautiful talent! Amazing use of the plura of instruments available.. and love the iconic sound he produces with the clavinet.

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Nov 21 2024
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5

Stevie Wonder constituye uno de los pilares sobre los que se asienta la música actual. Podría decirse que otro de ellos es James Brown, e incluir en sus raíces a Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Chuck berry, Bob Didley, Little Richard o Muddy Waters. Ejemplar e inigualable en muchos aspectos, no solo por talento y capacidad compositiva, sino por actitud, relación y compromiso con la sociedad o innovación técnica. Sus discos, sobre todo los de los años 70, son ejemplares. Este mismo año publicaba el revolucionario Music of my mind. Talking Book con su portada, el retorno a las raíces africanas, desde la maravillosa You´re the sunshine of my life hasta la última nota de I believe es un disco de escucha obligada. Tremendo éxito de ventas y aclamado por la crítica. Constituye uno de los pináculos de la música. De Supertition sobran las palabras, más allá del enfado de Jeff Beck por no haber podido lanzarla como sencillo -hay que ser ingenuo para pensar que Motown iba dejar pasar este trallazo- que por cierto toca la batería en ese tema. Maybe you baby tiene en la guitarra a Ray Parker, Jr. (el de Ghostbusters, robada a Huey Lewis, que luego perdería el Grammy frente a I Just Called to Say 'I Love You´ del propio Stevie). "You and I (We Can Conquer the World)", "Blame It on the Sun", "Lookin' for Another Pure Love" son baladas de enorme calidad. Otros discos de 1972: Debuts de Steely Dan, Roxy Music, Paul Simon, Big Star, Neu¡, ¿Fela Kuti? y Lou Reed (además de su espléndido Transformer ) Discos expecionales como los de David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Todd Rundgren-Something/Anything?, Elton John-Honky Château, Nick Drake – Pink Moon, Yes – Close to the Edge, Miles Davis – On the Corner, Neil Young – Harvest, The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St, Curtis Mayfield – Super Fly, Raspberries- Fresh, Genesis – Foxtrot, Van Morrison - Saint Dominic's Preview, Deep Purple- Machine Head y Made in Japan, Joni MIttchell- For the roses, Tangerine Dream - Zeit, T Rex- The slider, Kevin Ayers- Whatevershebringswesing, la banda sonora The harder they come... una cosecha excelente.

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Nov 20 2024
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5

My second Stevie album, and this man just delivers. Of course this one has some stone cold classics on it, but I found myself drawn to a lot of the unknown (to me) songs here. I played this twice through.

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Nov 18 2024
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5

9/10 Gotta love a bit of Stevie. No one can match him Favourite Song=Tuesday Heartbreak Least Favourite Song=You've Got It Bad Girl

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Nov 09 2024
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5

WONDERing how I never heard this masterpiece until now

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Nov 07 2024
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5

Sophisticated yet accessible, great 4.6

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Nov 05 2024
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5

Ahh back on track... I hope. Another great album. Loving Stevie Wonder. Was always just a casual fan of his but this list is making a true fan.

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Oct 26 2024
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5

Guess who just found a new favorite album!

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Oct 21 2024
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5

Even without Superstition this is an easy 5

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Oct 16 2024
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5

Classic Stevie. This is a different version of You Are The Sunshine of My Life than I'm used to though. A lot more guitar solos than usual, and I see now Jeff Beck is on it!

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Oct 14 2024
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5

Great album, Stevie Wonder was in a roll in the 70's with his music and this is my favourite. You are the sunshine of my life is beautiful but the highlight is Superstition it's so Funky and catchy you can't help but groove along.

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Oct 03 2024
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5

Brilliant album, start to finish. This was Stevie at his peak. "Superstition" carries the album by itself. Sure, there is some repetition on some tracks but, well, Stevie Wonder and "Superstition". Also, one of the most beautiful and heartfelt love ballads ever in the song "I Believe"

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Oct 01 2024
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5

Another Stevie Wonder masterpiece. The GOAT. *Heard before

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Sep 23 2024
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5

One thing about me is Imma give a Stevie Wonder album a 5. And this one is my person favorite. Delightful and groovy from front to back.

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Sep 16 2024
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5

I haven't devoted enough time to Stevie Wonder, but this makes me want to.

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Sep 15 2024
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5

I could listen to Stevie Wonder's voice all day! I love his songwriting, and his voice is always so powerful and smooth. He is truly a musical genius.

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Sep 14 2024
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5

Fantastic album. I personally like it more than Songs in the Key of Life, but no shame to disagree with that (it's fantastic as well). Superstition could hold up the album on it's own, but the whole thing is fantastic. Love some Stevie.

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Sep 09 2024
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5

Jazz, blues, R&B, rock… Stevie does it all better than anyone.

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Sep 09 2024
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5

Absolute timeless rythmn and soul collection by the voice of a generation Stevie Wonder. Anything less than 5 stars is criminal, and I shouldn't have to explain why. I see some comments talk about how sleepy this album is, all I can say is Stevie is practicing massive restraint in just funking out. Thus allowing his music to be more accessible and withstand decades of changing tastes. Not many albums could say that.

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